Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[groverlvchx]

Make your own..

next time you make an apple pie, save all the skin and cores..stuff them in a clean 1 qt glass jar. Make sure you have enough to fit tight under the lip so they do not float. Boil 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 tbs of sugar. Cool to hot but not boiling and pour over the apples. Set on the counter for 48 hours with a light cover.(towel). Put the ring and lid on and store in a dark place for 1 month. You can purchase cheap apple cider in the gallon container and than add the ho-made to it after you see a slight film start to develope. Just keep purchasing more of the gallons and add from the old.

THIS IS GOLDEN!! Thank you, delisha

 

[lgrant1]

My dad has a large dairy feed bin full of crushed corn with soybean meal supplement he used with his dairy cattle. Cattle were recently sold so I have free access to this feed. I estimate there is probably a ton or more in the bin. I have been using this instead of the layer feed to ferment for my layer flock of 17 birds, 25 meat birds, and 30 adolescent birds (10 week old or so). I still have a feeder in the coop for the layer flock with layer feed in it, so I feel confident they are getting what they need. (All are pullets and of the 15 birds, some days I get 5 eggs). The meat birds are cornish cross (9 weeks) and plan to process next weekend. I think they are ok too with this feed available as a dry feed in addition to the fermented feed once daily. I guess I am concerned that the little guys might not be getting enough protein. They have this same feed available in dry form all the time and fermented feed once daily. Should I pull the crush and go back to a grower and use this FREE feed for fermenting only? BTY my fermented feed is 75% crush, 15% scratch, and 10% sunflower seeds. Oh my two turkey Phil and Lil eat it too!

 

[aoxa]

My dad has a large dairy feed bin full of crushed corn with soybean meal supplement he used with his dairy cattle. Cattle were recently sold so I have free access to this feed. I estimate there is probably a ton or more in the bin. I have been using this instead of the layer feed to ferment for my layer flock of 17 birds, 25 meat birds, and 30 adolescent birds (10 week old or so). I still have a feeder in the coop for the layer flock with layer feed in it, so I feel confident they are getting what they need. (All are pullets and of the 15 birds, some days I get 5 eggs). The meat birds are cornish cross (9 weeks) and plan to process next weekend. I think they are ok too with this feed available as a dry feed in addition to the fermented feed once daily. I guess I am concerned that the little guys might not be getting enough protein. They have this same feed available in dry form all the time and fermented feed once daily. Should I pull the crush and go back to a grower and use this FREE feed for fermenting only? BTY my fermented feed is 75% crush, 15% scratch, and 10% sunflower seeds. Oh my two turkey Phil and Lil eat it too!

Make sure Phil and Lil eat higher protein than that free feed.

Turkeys need much more protein than chickens to grow properly.

If you notice them lagging, switch them back to more grower. If you find they are doing well - all the more to you. I wouldn't personally do it, as corn is not a balanced diet, and I've heard a lot of nasty things about soybean.

I feed 60% grower to 40% scratch grains (my scratch grain is low on the corn).

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Hello All!
I have been reading on this thread and have only gotten to page 28!!! Only 400 more to go!!! lol! Great information!
Forgive me if this has been addressed in any of the other pages, but will feeding fermented feeds introduce the yeast that causes sour crop???
I do have me a small batch of triple cleaned oats fermenting with raw ACV. It has been going about 5 days now. I finally got the white skim on top with lots of bubbles in the last two days. (I think the colder temps are slowing it down.) It is very like making sour dough starter! I plan on feeding to my laying hens today.
Thanks!
Tina
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_Edited to add: Took the fermented oats out to them and they did not miss a beat scarfing them down! Just a handful left in each of the two pans after they finished!!!

 

[chickeemama]

I too have just found this thread and have read to page 25, GREAT reading! Plenty ahead of me. I am very excited to try this. I have as much spent grain as I would like from a local brewery. I think it probably would make great fermented grain, please any advise on this would be great. I just started my birds on the fresh spent grain a couple of weeks ago, they like it and there water consumption has went waaaay down. I live in northern Iowa and our temps are keeping it very frozen, but I am thinking I should try bringing some in where it is warm and fermenting. Has anybody tried fermenting spent brewers grain?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Everyone's talking about dog food, what about cat food?

I do, and they gobble it like its fresh fish! And yes i think is great for them! I ferment it 2 days and feed out. Its been a huge plus. One of my cats came here nearly bald and anemic from fleas. You wouldn't believe how good she looks now, and has a lil pudgy belly

. I only have outdoor barn cats, they are strays that get dumped out here. I have them fixed, wormed and shots. They live their lives out with us unless I can rehome them.. rarely happens.. My mom is a dialysis patient so there is no indoor pets except a pug (she does not get on moms lap or the furniture, only my DH's chair) and fish. Oh, my daughter has sugar gliders. they stay in her bedroom.

 

[Pozees]

I do, and they gobble it like its fresh fish! And yes i think is great for them! I ferment it 2 days and feed out. Its been a huge plus. One of my cats came here nearly bald and anemic from fleas. You wouldn't believe how good she looks now, and has a lil pudgy belly

. I only have outdoor barn cats, they are strays that get dumped out here. I have them fixed, wormed and shots. They live their lives out with us unless I can rehome them.. rarely happens.. My mom is a dialysis patient so there is no indoor pets except a pug (she does not get on moms lap or the furniture, only my DH's chair) and fish. Oh, my daughter has sugar gliders. they stay in her bedroom.

I want to make sure I have not oversimplified this before I try it - you just put dry cat food in a bucket with water and U-ACV, let ferment 2 days and feed? Have you detected a decrease in consumption or any other positives I might hope for? I don't see that there is much to lose except a couple days' worth of food if they won't eat it - and then I guess I could feed it to the chickens.

 

[Eroc1_1]

I have yet to skim through all the pages of this discussion. I am very intrigued for sure.

What grains do you use in your fermented grain base? Corn, wheat, barley, oats, millet, sunflowers???

 

[Pozees]

I have yet to skim through all the pages of this discussion. I am very intrigued for sure.

What grains do you use in your fermented grain base? Corn, wheat, barley, oats, millet, sunflowers???

I use cracked corn, whole oats and wheat, wild bird seed and black oil sunflower seed

 

[delisha]

I am attempting fermented feed for the 1st time... I used to use crumbles but have now switched to an organic feed that is a mash. I put in 6 inches of water, several cups of mash (about 9 or so I think) and about 3/4 to 1 cup of ACV. It has been sitting for 48 hours. I stir it 2x's daily. There seems to be a lot of water and the mash has all settled like mud in the bottom. It is not actively bubbling like I've seen some do on youtube... is it fermented? Does the temperature affect it much? It is cold in my house at night (about 50-55) and about 60-65 during the day. Should I wait longer or is it ready to feed? Seems like I might need a "tighter" strainer since it is sooo mushy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Last question... when you go on vacation or are gone at all, do most of you just have someone come twice a day to feed fermented food or do you just give a bunch of dry in automatic feeders just for the time you are gone? I love my chickens and ducks but feeding the fermented feed twice a day can be very time consuming and I might need to be gone for an entire day or two with work, etc.

Covering in water is the best way to go.....1 cup of UPACV for 9 cups of dry feed is pretty strong. It will be ferminting for sure. You might need to add more mash and put it in a warmer place to get things going good. Once it gets going good you will be fine. You can feed anytime. It will become more fermented as time progresses. The chickens will get used to it if you do feed before it starts to get going.
You also do not need to add anymore ACV. Using a smaller strainer might work, but, the original design is a two bucket system designed to be lifted out of the ferment and fed out of the top bucket after straining. Some just put a strap or stick across the top of the bottom bucket and let it strain enough to take the feed off the top.
I was fortunate enough that my buckets have handles and when I lift the top bucket the handle can sit on the edge of the bottom bucket and strain if I want it strained. I do like to feed pretty wet. The birds get the extra cultures from the liquid. And I have ducks who love all of that slop. If any is left over and frozen, I toss that into a bucket to use for something else for the ducks.
Because this does not work for many they use a one bucket system and feed a less wet mixture that does not need to be strained.
You need to find out what works best for you.
On vacation or gone for a day, just plan a head. The birds will do fine with one feeding.

Need two days? Get heated dog waters and place buckets of FF in them. Icecream buckets work great. It holds a gallon of feed.You just have to lift out and replace with the full buckets. You just need to figure out how many dog waters you need. A gallon of feed will feed many birds.I have 17 birds and feed less than a gallon.
No matter what you do, or how you do it, you are giving your birds benificial cultures and saving money. It is a win win. Good luck!!